Three Roma were arrested after committing two aggravated thefts against elderly Swedish women in Skåne on the same day. They targeted a 90-year-old woman in Svedala on her way with a walker to the local grocery store, and an 82-year-old woman in Ystad. The method was the same: distraction with fake jewelry while the real gold necklaces were taken from the victims. The suspects are now charged with two counts of aggravated theft.
The three Roma, Florentina Ionita, 39, Crizantema Tudorache, 26, and Anton Ghiocel, 34, came to Sweden from Romania. According to their own statements, they traveled by car via Poland, took the ferry, and then moved between Denmark and Sweden.
Around lunchtime on June 16 this year in Svedala, the 90-year-old lady was walking with her walker toward the local Hemköp store when a silver-gray car crept up behind her. At the crosswalk, the driver waved and a woman got out.
The woman asked in broken English for directions to the “apo” (pharmacy, editor’s note), touched the woman’s fingers as if searching for rings, tried to put on a fake ring, and then hung a fake necklace around her neck.
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When the Roma woman left, the elderly lady discovered that her own gold necklace, which she had owned for decades, was gone. In her police interview, she described how badly she has felt since the incident, saying she “cried rivers.” She no longer dares to go out on her own.
– I haven’t been the same person since it happened, she said in questioning.
She also says she previously had attempted break-ins and describes it as though now she is back in the same feeling of fear.
“I couldn’t sleep”
Later the same afternoon in Ystad, near 5 p.m., an 82-year-old lady was stopped by the same type of car. The driver also asked for the pharmacy then.
A woman got out, kissed and hugged the older woman forcefully while the man held her arms and tried to put on a fake ring.
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They hung a necklace around her neck, and when they left, the woman found her two gold necklaces, valued at about 31,340 SEK, were gone.
In a police interview, the elderly woman described how humiliating the whole situation felt to her.
– I didn’t sleep at all that night. It was impossible to sleep. My body was crawling with anxiety, she said in questioning.
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This is how the Roma were caught
The police were able to quickly connect the two thefts to the same perpetrators thanks to the shared modus operandi – distraction with fake jewelry – and witness statements about a silver-gray, German-registered Mercedes.
After the theft in Ystad, descriptions of the people and the car’s registration number were broadcast. Patrols took up positions on possible escape routes. At 17:33, the car was found heading north on the E65 and was stopped by police.
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In the car were three people – a man and two women – matching the descriptions. Police detained all and informed them of suspicion of aggravated theft.
During a search of the gang’s car, fake jewelry, pawn receipts from jewelry stores in Romania, and large amounts of cash were found.
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Later, during a more thorough search, the 82-year-old’s two gold necklaces were found hidden in a sock between the vehicle’s inner and outer roof. The 90-year-old’s gold necklace was never found, however. Ghiocel stated in questioning that they had already given it to Ionita’s son.
“We are gypsies”
In one of the police interviews, Ghiocel describes the relationships within the group and their identity.
– But we Roma, we are gypsies, we have our traditions. She (a member of the group, editor’s note) is like family but I did not grow up with her, he said.
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Chiocel has confessed to the crime. Tudorache has partially confessed in early interrogations but later denied participation, and Ionita denies the crime.
The three Roma now stand charged with aggravated theft at Ystad District Court. Prosecutor Tomas Olvmyr has also requested that all three be deported from Sweden with a 10-year re-entry ban.
If convicted, they can thus be deported – but will be welcome back to Sweden after 10 years.
